Lexington community members gathered at Artworks at the Carver School and created ink prints that highlighted the history, culture and key figures celebrated during Black History Month.

Hosted by Lexington Parks & Recreation on Feb. 20, the event allowed participants to make prints inspired by Black History Month’s influential figures, offering a variety of mold options ranging from historic leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.

First, participants choose the color of the paper they would like to work with, then they have to choose one of the linocuts, a carved linoleum block used to create a relief print, featuring a different historic figure, symbolic image or iconic quote related to Black History Month.

With the help of small paint rollers, the attendees used black or gold ink to paint the linocut and then put the paper on top of it, with a baren, a disc-shaped hand tool used in relief printmaking, and pressed the back of the paper to transfer the ink from the linocut to the paper. 

Finished prints were hung on clips to dry while attendees experimented with different patterns, paper colors, textures and layouts.

Recreation specialist Brooke Cissell said she has facilitated print workshops with Lexington Parks & Recreation for almost three years and said this was her third Black History Month printmaking event.

“I help facilitate the printmaking event and prepare ahead of time by carving some of the prints and writing the biographies of the black figures that we have today on display,” Cissell said. 

Cissell said the workshops hold a lot of educational value, but she admitted that they don’t always draw the attention they deserve.

“Attendance is usually low, which is disappointing because many of the figures we feature are local to Lexington,” Cissell said. “It’s a meaningful way to learn about Black history in your own community while doing a creative activity.”

According to Cissell, she stepped into the role after the program was already established,  and they previously had a print artist for these specific events.

“Stephen Wiggins, he’s a Black artist,” Cissell said, “he is the person who used to host the Black History Month event print workshops when he was here … he did those prints over the mirror, about historic black figures.”

Cissell said the workshop’s latest addition is Sweet Evening Breeze, a drag performer and community activist in Lexington. 

“I did some pretty extensive research, especially on some of the older historical figures,” Cissell said. “Sweet Evening Breeze was a profound gender-queer figure who did a lot to continue gay rights and Black rights, especially here in Lexington.”

Cissell said finding information about Breeze was challenging, but she wanted attendees to learn about local figures who made meaningful contributions to the community.

Stephanie Jackson, one of the participants, also shared how this experience was for her. 

“Black History Month is important,” Jackson said. “Black history is American history, and then due to the fact that they’re trying to erase Black history, it’s even more important.”